Max Shreck
Maximillian "Max" Shreck is the secondary antagonist of Tim Burton's 1992 superhero film Batman Returns. He serves as Selina Kyle's ruthless boss and an unusual ally to the Penguin. He was portrayed by , who also played Max Zorin in A View to a Kill, Frank White in King of New York, Vincenzo Coccotti in True Romance, the Headless Horseman in Sleepy Hollow, Detective Vince Magnotta in Ripper, Cornelius Hatcher in The Rundown, and King Louie in the 2016 version of The Jungle Book. History Max Shreck is the richest, most powerful man in Gotham City, and presents himself as a philanthropist and friend of the poor. Beneath this facade, however, he is shown to be ruthless, greedy and power-hungry, and is secretly planning to construct a power plant that will act as a capacitor and put him in control of the city's power supply. A widower, Max lives with his son Chip Shreck, whom he wants to inherit his businesses once he dies. He is also shown to be a slumlord, deliberately making his buildings unsafe by cutting costs, and runs a chemical plant that pumps toxic waste in the city's water supply. He also murdered his business partner Fred Atkins, and bullies and terrorizes his timid secretary Selina Kyle. When Selina discovers the true purpose of his power plant, he pushes her out of his office window; she survives. However, she reinvents herself as Catwoman, and dedicates herself to robbing Max's businesses and eventually killing him. One night, he is kidnapped by the Red Triangle Circus Gang and brought before their leader, The Penguin, who uses proof of his many crimes to blackmail Max into helping him take over Gotham City. To that end, Max bankrolls the Penguin's mayoral campaign, planning to use him as a puppet to control Gotham himself. He also wants to do a recall mayoral election; if Penguin is the Mayor he can approve Max's plan to build his Power Plant, since the current Mayor turned it down. When Batman plays a recording of the Penguin's true plans for Gotham — to "play this stinking city like a harp from hell" — the citizens of Gotham turn against the crime lord (now seeing him for what he really is), and Max turns his back on his former ally. That night, Max throws a charity masquerade costume ball for Gotham's wealthy elite. The Penguin, flanked by his goons, crashes the party and announces that he is going to kill Gotham's first-born sons, starting with Chip. In a rare display of humanity, Max begs the Penguin to spare his son and take him instead. The Penguin agrees, and takes Max hostage to his lair in Gotham's sewer. Max escapes, but Catwoman arrives and takes him prisoner, intent on killing him. Batman, having defeated the Penguin, stops her and pleads with her to turn Max in to the police. Catwoman refuses, however, and attacks Max, who shoots her several times, but doesn't kill her. Catwoman then puts a taser in her mouth and kisses Max, electrocuting him with the lair's power generator as well. After the smoke clears, Batman finds Max's charred corpse, but Catwoman is nowhere to be seen — implying that she survived. Quotes Trivia *According to some stories, Shreck's role in the film was originally intended for Harvey Dent, who was played by Billy Dee Williams in Batman; he was only merely to be scarred at the climax of the film, making him his alter ego "Two-Face", which would follow into the next film, Tim Burton's Batman Forever. Williams has denied that it was ever the case, however, stating that he was only contracted to play Harvey Dent in the first film regardless. *Shreck is named after the late German silent film actor , who was famous for playing Count Orlok in F.W. Murnau's classic Nosferatu. *Along with Ross Webster from Superman III and Carl Grissom from Batman, Max Shreck is one of the few characters created in a DC Comics live-action movie who has not been featured in actual comic media since then. Interestingly, all three characters were created to replace in their role an actual comic character. Navigation de:Max Shreck pl: Max Shreck Category:Wealthy Category:Businessmen Category:Batman Villains Category:Murderer Category:Corrupt Officials Category:Sophisticated Category:DC Villains Category:Conspirators Category:Parents Category:Charismatic Category:Psychopath Category:Pawns Category:Male Category:Arrogant Category:Traitor Category:Protective Category:Greedy Category:Cowards Category:Evil Vs. 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